Questions, answered plainly.

The whole home, inside and out: roof and chimney, attic, insulation and ventilation, exterior cladding and trim, grading and drainage, structure and foundation, basement or crawlspace, electrical, plumbing and water heating, heating, cooling and heat pumps, the interior, and attached structures like the garage and decks. Thermal imaging, a moisture meter and a drone are included where they are useful, and so is the same-day report. There is no larger package to upgrade to.

No. Square footage doesn't change the rate. A one-bedroom bungalow and a four-bedroom two-storey are both $449 plus HST. If a property is unusually large, or a long drive outside the normal service area, you'll be told before you book rather than after.

The same day, usually within a few hours of finishing. It arrives as a digital report with photos, separated into items that need attention now and items worth maintaining or monitoring, with the recommended next step written in plain language.

Usually two to three hours, depending on the size, age and condition of the home. Older properties and finished basements tend to take longer, because there is more to look at.

Please do. You're welcome for the whole inspection, but the most useful time to arrive is the last 45 minutes. We'll walk the home together and go through what was found while you can still see it. Understanding a problem is much easier standing in front of it than reading about it afterwards.

A home inspection is visual and non-invasive. Walls are not opened, carpet is not lifted, and equipment is not dismantled, so anything concealed behind finishes, buried, or hidden by stored belongings or snow cannot be assessed. It is not a code-compliance inspection, it is not a warranty, and it does not include specialist testing such as radon, water quality, septic or air quality. Anything that couldn't be reached on the day is reported as not inspected rather than assumed to be fine.

You'll hear it on the spot, and it goes in the report with photos. What won't happen is a guess at repair costs. That isn't the inspector's job, and an accurate description of the condition is far more useful to you and your agent than a number pulled out of the air. Where something needs a specialist, the report says so.

No. An inspection isn't a pass or a fail. It's a record of the home's condition on the day. Every house has findings, including brand-new ones. What matters is which findings are significant, which are routine maintenance, and which are worth raising before the deal closes.

Yes to both. For a condo the focus is the unit and its systems, plus common elements that can reasonably be accessed. New builds are worth inspecting too. A brand-new home is not automatically a well-built one, and finding issues while the builder's warranty is live is the cheapest time to find them.

No, and anyone who says otherwise is overselling it. A thermal camera reads surface temperature. What it shows are unusual temperature patterns that may be associated with insulation gaps, air leakage, moisture or uneven heating. That is useful for deciding where to investigate further, not proof of what sits behind the wall. Where a pattern looks meaningful we check it with a moisture meter, and if it still is not clear, the report recommends further evaluation.

Radon testing is not part of the standard inspection. It is worth taking seriously in Nova Scotia. Parts of the province have elevated levels, and testing is the only way to know. Ask and we can point you toward a testing service.

The visible condition, age and location of a tank are noted where they can be seen, because tank age affects what insurers will cover in Nova Scotia. A full tank assessment, and anything involving buried tanks or soil, is specialist work and is not part of the standard inspection.

Not as part of the standard inspection. Water quality and septic assessments are separate specialist services with their own testing. If you are buying rural, arrange those alongside the inspection. Ask and we can point you in the right direction.

As soon as your offer is accepted. Conditions periods are short and inspection slots fill quickly. Blue Nest works seven days a week, including evenings, specifically because those deadlines don't move.

Access to the property, and the utilities left on: power, water and heat. If the power or water is shut off, those systems cannot be tested, and anything that cannot be tested has to be reported as not inspected.

Yes, and they're often worth it. Knowing what a buyer's inspector is likely to find gives you the chance to fix it, price it in, or disclose it on your own terms, rather than renegotiating under pressure late in a deal.